Aeroquoits game



Jufiy 23, 1935. F. w. ERICKSON 9 5 AEROQUOITS GAME Filed March 9, 1934 ATTORNEY Patented July 23 1935 I AEnOQUOITs GQiME'Y" L Frederic W.-Erickson, New Rochelle, N. Y. Application March9 1934,;Serial- No. 714,853 'ioclaim s. (oiezisfiom' The invention relates to that type of game apparatus which employs rings, and sometimes horse-shoes or the like, and stakes orpegs over which, or toward which, the rings or so-called horse-shoes are tossed by hand.

In the following description and claims I :emi-

ploy the term ring for, the sake of brevity of terminology, without limiting myself to a complete circular device. 'By-the said term ring I mean that the elements ormembers which the players seek to engage with a stake or peg may i more or less resemble a horse-shoe, although the accompanying drawing illustrates the 'main member of the apparatus as having the shape of I a .complete circle. I

When playing the gameof quoits as heretofore and now practiced, the distance established between the objective stake and the playersv position is limited to that which ,is considered .b-est according to the skill and strength of the players, and such quoits can not be so manipa ulated as'to enable a relative weak player to outtoss or out-play va stronger player.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide players with apparatus including a ring:

which can be so catapulted as to be causedto move toward a given point such as a stake, in-

a manner resembling an air glider.

Another object is to provide a quoit devic 'which can be sent a greater distance than can be effected with such rings or horse-shoes'as' those commonly utilized in the game of quoits.

' Another object'is to provide a structure where: by the rings-can be sent more accurately toward the stake than can be accomplished when tossing a ring by hand.

With said objects in View, and others hereinafter explained, the invention consists 'in the construction of the members, and thecombination thereof, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed. 7

Of the accompanying drawing:-- I

Figure 1 is a plan viewof my'improved winged ring in one of its embodiments.

Figure 2 represents a longitudinal section of the same.

Figure 3 represents a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevation of a preferred form of catapulting mace or stick, partly broken to reduce the illustrated length.

Figure 5 is an elevation, partly in section, of a preferred form of stake.

manner; similar tothe wings of an airplane ,or 10- gliden; Atthe-frontand mid-way of the wings. [3, the body is provided with a circular flange M which ,is externally grooved, saidgrooved flange being forwardly and upwardly inclined relatively, to theplane of the body- Mounted in 15 theinclined groove is a-ring-l5 of, preferably, w resilient material such as rubber.

Extending downwardly from thewings l3, and. preferablyintegral therewith, are two flanges l6 having rounded lower edges, to serveas supports when. the device isjon .the ground or other base during, theplaying of the game as: hereinafter described. At therear end, the body has lateral portions 1|! to ,serve .asta'il wings, and. a vertical portion I8 to serve as aguide fin. Y I

To enable a player (Figure 6) to catapult the winged ring sofardescribed, toward an objective such as a stake, I provide a mace (Fig. 4) comprising a'shank lflhaving a handle. 20, its lower. end being somewhat tapered, as at 2|,- the-tip of which is slightly enlarged and rounded as at 22. Said'mace-is, in'practice, about'three feet long and is constructed,preferabl nof hardwood, such as hickory.

The objective, the stake23 (Fig. 5) has a pointed end 24, and its upper end is provided with a ball 25 preferably of resilient material such as rubber, and of a diameter considerably less than the diameter of the opening which issurrounded by theflange M of .the body I! of the wingediring. 40 The purpose of. the. rubber member..2 5 of the stake is to lessen the liability of injury to the wings 13 if, during the playing of a game similar to quoits, said. wings were. to,.- contact with the top of the stake.

In Figure 6 I illustrate the stake as driven into the ground through a square 26 of suitable material which will prevent undue disturbance of the ground by the aeroquoits landing either adjacent to the stake or ringed thereon.

As a part of my complete game apparatus, I provide a runway 21 (Fig. 6) which may be a smooth board on one end of which a player may stand. Preferably the under side of the other end of the runway has attached thereto a strip 28 so that when the runway is resting on the ground, or on flooring if the game is to be played in-doors, the upper surface of the board will provide an upwardly inclined runway. If the strip 28 is elastic, as rubber, then the player can vary the degree of inclination of the runway by standing on it in a more or less advanced position thereon.

Figure 6 illustrates two of the aeroquoits or winged'rings, one being as gliding: orin flight toward the stake 29g and the other one on;,the runway 21, ready to be catapulted by the player using such a mace as shown in Figure 5. The tin;

22 of the mace is rounded so as to move smoothly along the surface of the runway when the player catapults the aeroquoit with which! he has; engaged: his mace.

The circular opening provided=-in the aeroquoit' serves two purposes, or has two functions, one

being to enable the tapered lower end of the mace to be engaged: in it to provide-a temporary connection between the mace and the aeroquoit-while the latter is beingcatapulted over the runway toward the stake, and the other being toadmit the top of the stake through it if the-playeris successful in so directing the flight of theaeroquoit that it will ring the stake.

The reason for the grooved flange I4 being inclined relatively to the plane ofthe body I2 is to facilitate ringing the aeroquoit -onthe stake; Owing to the rear portion of'said-fiange and'the rubber ring which it carries being lower than the front portion, said rearportion is more likely to catch on the stake when the aeroquoit is accurately catapulted, than if the plane of. said flange and-rubber ring werethesameas that of the body [2. v

It is tobe. understood that so far as concerns rules for playing a game with my improved devices, such rules may be quite similar to thosefollowed in the commonlypracticed game of quoits; Therefore it would be unnecesor horse-shoes. sary to describe. any. rulesherein.

It is also to beunderstood': that while out=door playing is usually preferable; all of 'the members illustrated may be-utilized f or in-door-playing. In thelatter case, the stake23 might be-permanently attached to a fiat board or other sheet to rest on:

the floor, and the-aeroquoitsmay beeither smaller, ,7 or lighter, orboth, thanthose-used for out-door playing.

The aeroquoit alone, such\as.il1ustrated:in:1?ige ures 1, 2 and 3. is theimportantfeatureofmy invention, and could be hand manipulated ovr. a: table provided with a stakeat. one end:

Having now described my invention, I:'claim:'-

1. A. device to be catapultedthrough. the air,

comprising a body having laterally extending flat:- members and a rearwardlyextending tail member and provided with a groove inits'. front portion; and aring mounted in saidgroove.

and provided with a circular groove in its front portion, and a resilient ring mounted in said groove.

3. A device to be catapulted through the air, comprising a body having laterally extending fiat members and a rearwardly extending tail member and provided with a circular groove in its front portion, and a resilient ring mounted in said groove, the groove being so positioned as to maintain the: ring in a forwardly and upwardly inclined, position.

4. A game apparatus comprising a winged ring, are inclined runway for temporarily supporting the winged ring, a mace for engaging the ring to propel' it from said runway, said mace having a rounded tip, and a stake to be engaged by the ring.

'5. A game apparatus comprising a winged ring, an inclined runway for temporarily supporting the winged ring, said runway being variable as to its degree of: inclination, a mace for engaging the ring to propel it from saidrunway, and a stake tobeengaged by the ring. I

6: A ringihavingan unobstructed-- interior and:

provided with fiat extensions projecting-from opposite sides thereofand having an integral rear extension provided with a guidefin and laterally extending wing members.

7: A device to be catapulted through the air,

comprising a: body: having an unobstructed ringshaped-t portion at one end and thin guiding ex tensions. at theother end, said body also having thinfiat wing members extending laterally from its: forward: end, the said ring-shaped portion projecting beyond the front edges: of the said" comprising a body having an unobstructed ringshaped portion at one end and'thin guiding extensions at. the other end, said body also having thinxflat w-ingmembers extending laterally from, its: forward. end, the said ring-shaped portion be ing surrounded by a; resilient ring and projecting beyond the front edgesof the-said'wing members;

9. A device to becatapulted through the air,-

comprising a body having an unobstructed ringshaped portion-.at'one end: and thin guiding ex-" tensions at; the ,other end, said body alsolhaving thin; flatwing members extending laterally from: its=forward endg the said ring-shaped portion-being surrounded by a resilient ringand-projecting beyond thezfront edgesof. the saidwingmember,

the p lane ofv the ring-shaped portion being inclined downwardly. and rearwardly relatively to the plane of the body and its wingmembers.

10. ,As agame apparatus, the combinationwith aringhaving an unobstructed interior, and pro: videdwith wingextensions having an area toenable it to glide through the air when projected, of "a manually operable mace for'cooperation with interior of the ring to catapult the unobstructed the latter. v I

FREDERIC W." ERICKSON. 

